In conventional imaging apparatus, a subject of an imaging procedure is imaged by an X-ray beam from an X-ray source. An X-ray image is captured by an imaging receptor. The imaging receptor may be a film-based receptor, or increasingly so, a digital image receptor. The source and the imaging receptor are located in a room often referred to as an “imaging room.”
In these conventional imaging systems, an imaging console is located outside the imaging room. The imaging console includes a visual display of information describing the imaging procedure.
The information displayed on the visual display of the imaging console is reviewed by an operator of the imaging system after the imaging procedure is complete. The information is reviewed to determine the quality of the image. If the image is not of acceptable quality, the image procedure is repeated.
A human subject of the imaging procedure often feel puzzled, confused and in a quandary about the success of the imaging procedure because the human subject does not have access to the information on the visual display of the imaging console. In a society that increasingly values access to information, some human subjects feel very out-of-place when they have no direct access to information on the imaging procedure that could have a big effect on their life. This lack of information sometimes leads the human subject a feeling that the imaging procedure is somewhat mysterious, and in turn leads the human subject to a lack of confidence on the success of the imaging procedure.
In regards to digital image receptors, the digital image receptors weigh less than ten pounds and thus are fairly easy to move around. The portability of the digital image receptors is a very helpful and useful attribute of the digital image receptors, but the portability also has the effect of bringing the digital image receptors with contact with more objects. Contact with other objects can result in damage to the exterior housing of the digital image receptors.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for improved access to the imaging information by the operator in order to reduce the time of completing the imaging procedure. There is also a need for improved access to the imaging information by a human subject of the imaging procedure in order to reduce the mysteriousness of the imaging procedure and improve the confidence of the human subject in the success of the imaging procedure. In addition, there is a need to protect the exterior housing of digital image receptors from damage by contact from other objects.